The White Hag

With adventure being a tenet of craft beer, our One for The Road Award celebrates the crossing of borders, be they national, personal, or creative. The White Hag is renowned for its hospitality at Hagstravaganza, an international festival it hosts every year at its Sligo-based brewery. In more recent years, The White Hag also opened its first bar in Dublin Airport, planting the flag for Irish craft beer in a space that connects all corners of the world. 

This year, co-founder Bob Coggins tells me, The White Hag has also finally opened its taproom to the public, year round. Previously the space could only be licensed for one-off events, as a result of the stringent licensing laws that have long held craft beer back in Ireland. Taproom aside, the team has been focusing on making two of its core beers, Little Fawn Session IPA and Ninth Wave Pale Ale, certified Gluten Free. 

Bob says that while these developments are exciting, the team is particularly proud of how this summer’s Hagstravaganza Festival went. “It was the only international beer fest in Ireland this year, but we had a great crowd, and a fantastic group of brewers from around the world,” he says. “We've also been working hard to get rotational beers on tap at our partner bar in Dublin Airport, and install some dedicated White Hag fridges, so travellers can take a variety of cans with them from the airport to wherever they’re going.”

When I ask Bob what advice The White Hag might give a younger version of itself, he says: “stick to the mission, but don't heed the purists and beer snobs. Get your beer into every outlet that will respect and sell it for you. If there are curious and thirsty punters who want your beer, they will buy it in Lidl and Aldi, or Tesco or the indie bottle shop. It's about making your brand available to those who want great beer. Plough your own furrow!”